


Meeting the Boyfriend –or How Ethan Found Out Brandt Was Dating His Niece

by ShunKickShunKers



Series: Of Hills and Hunts [3]
Category: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Overprotective Ethan, Phone Calls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-09 10:38:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1979691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShunKickShunKers/pseuds/ShunKickShunKers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think the title says it all</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meeting the Boyfriend –or How Ethan Found Out Brandt Was Dating His Niece

**Meeting the Boyfriend –or How Ethan Found Out Brandt Was Dating His Niece.**

 

 

A cheerful melody echoed in the background, making all four IMF agents jump. Brandt apologized and fumbled through his shirt, looking for his cell phone. One quick glance at the screen and he stood up hurriedly, apologizing again for the disturbance. They had been in the middle of an after-mission celebration, so him leaving to answer a call was no big deal but Ethan still didn’t appreciate the interruption. He and Brandt had been in the middle of a discussion after all. And why had he felt the need to _leave_ at all?

“Wanna bet that’s Will’s girlfriend?” Benji asked with a wicked grin. Jane rolled her eyes and Ethan frowned.

“He’s got his girlfriend back?”

The technician’s grin widened.

“Hell yeah, it seems that they made up. I overheard him talking on the phone couple of days ago. I’m telling you, the sex phone was hot.”

This time, both stared blankly at their colleague. They would deny it to their grave, but picturing the William Brandt talking dirty?

“This is so wrong.” Jane muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. “I can’t think of him doing that.”

“Every man has needs.” Benji retorted. Unlike his colleagues, he had a few days to get used to the idea beforehand. “Brandt isn’t just a cute puppy.”

“You think Brandt is a cute puppy?” Ethan interjected amusingly.

“He had the puppy-eye look mastered.” Jane agreed, but still looked skeptical. “But he’s just as workaholic as Ethan.” Her team leader glared at her. It didn’t deter Benji though.

“I’ll ask him when he gets back.”

“Benji, that’s his life and his life alone.”

“Don’t tell me you’re not curious!”

When the tech looked at him, Ethan raised his hands in protest.

“Don’t get me involved. As a team leader, I am not supposed to encourage gossip.” But his tone indicated he wouldn’t mind finding out.

Benji opened his mouth but was cut before he could answer by the subject of their conversation coming back.

“Sorry guys.” Brandt said, apologizing with his distinct bashful gaze. Both Ethan and Jane tried to picture him talking dirty. No way. When no-one replied him, the former analyst frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“Was that your girlfriend?” Benji asked, wriggling his eyebrows. To everyone’s surprise, Brandt blushed. _Blushed_. “Aw that’s so cute” the tech purred at his reaction. “Say, why don’t you invite her next time we get together? You could introduce her to the team.”

“I –eh – don’t know if that’ll be possible.” He started slowly then added more confidently: “She’s not at home now and she’s got a busy schedule.”

“You don’t want us to meet her?” Jane raised a fake skeptical eyebrow. If possible, Brandt’s skin turned a pinker shade.

“No it’s not –I mean, she’s really busy and we don’t have that much time together to begin with…”

Benji’s grin grew a few inches more.

“Aha, so you want to spend more time with your girlfriend, lover boy.”

Brandt’s expression changed from embarrassed to thoroughly annoyed.

“And so what if I do? I barely see her already with our schedules." 

The tech shut his mouth, but Ethan picked up where he had left.

“I’ll have to admit Will, it’s for everyone’s interest. Do you know her well? Does she know what you do?”

Brandt narrowed his eyes.

“That’s a conversation I already had, and since she’s familiar with the words ‘secrecy’ and ‘national security’, I’d say we’re clear on that point.” He inhaled sharply and added: “Anyone wants a drink? I’m off to the kitchen.”

Without waiting for an answer, he stormed out of the room, pulled out his phone and raised it to his ear. He hadn’t cut the communication yet.

“See? I told you so.” An amused chuckle was his reply. “It’s really not funny, Maria. When Ethan realizes we’re seeing each other he’s gonna pull my full history and figure out every dirty secret I have.”

_“I read your full history and psychological history_.” She said nonchalantly. “ _You have nothing to fear. At best, he might feel guilty for the number Croatia did on you.”_

The man sighed deeply, shaking his head.

“He nearly raised you. No matter what he did to me or how old you are, Ethan will give me the evil eye once he knows.”

_“Then it is a good thing I can kick his ass.”_ Maria replied. _“If he ever pulls his act, I will give him a piece of my mind.”_

“Hurray” he muttered. “I don’t need my girlfriend to fight my battles.”

_“Another guy thing?”_

“Nope, just basic self-preservation.”

_“You think Ethan is scarier than me?”_

Brandt paused, allowed his mind to fight a quick debate, and concluded:

“You are scarier sweetheart, but I work with him nearly every day and I want to be sure he won’t shove me off a roof when nobody’s looking.”

_“Good answer. And don’t call me sweetheart. I’m the one who will handle your_ treasure _tomorrow night.”_

“You’re back tomorrow?” he hated the hinge of hope in his voice. Maria laughed.

_“Took a day off since you are free; I should be at your place around one a.m. Leave the door open and make sure your friends don’t follow too closely.”_

“Jesus, I’ll tie them in a closet if I need to. I can’t wait to see you.”

 

* * *

 

The phone rang at a painful 7 am, waking up efficiently the two sleepers sharing the king-sized bed.

“Whose is it?” Brandt muttered, voice groggy with sleep. Maria sighed heavily and extended her arm to pick up the annoying device.

“Dunno.” She replied as she checked the caller’s ID. “It’s Ethan.”

“I hope it’s not another motherfucker mission.” The man said, taking the phone reluctantly and, after a quick kiss on her shoulder, picked up. “Brandt.”

_“Why do you have Maria’s phone, Will?”_

The agent froze. Maria turned around, stared at him, and fell into understanding. She took the phone from him and rolled back.

“You have any idea what time it is?” she asked as her boyfriend rubbed his face awake with his hand.

_“Maria? What’s going on? Are you in trouble?”_

“ _You_ will be in trouble if you don’t give me a good excuse right now. It’s 7 am. I’m on a break after a hard and painful week. My boyfriend is here. What the hell do you want?”

_“Brandt is your boyfriend?”_

“I’m thirty one, a responsible adult with needs and Will is great in bed.” she ignored her lover groaning and hiding his face in the pillow. “Last time before I hang up, what do you want?”

Ethan remained speechless for a full twenty seconds. He eventually cleared his throat and said:

_“I have a day off too. I just wanted to know if you were around…to meet for a beer or…”_

“Lunch is fine. Be at his place at one…Nah, make it two. Will’s the cook today.”

_“He is?”_

“I am?”

“Yes he is.” Maria shot him a warning look. Brandt muttered something under his breath. “His deserts should be illegal.”

_“Will it involve strawberries and cream?”_ Ethan asked sarcastically.

“Why do you think I’m asking you to come at two?”

“…”

“Just kidding. See you later.” She hung up and slammed the cell phone on her night desk. Then, she turned around and smirked at Will. “I guess the whole ‘meet your family’ thing is eventually happening.”

William whined, his voice muffled in the pillow.

“Ethan is going to _kill_ me.”

“It’s all right, I will protect you.” Maria replied, amused by his attitude, and patted his shoulder. Brandt turned his head and faced her with his puppy eyes.

“Promise?”

“Sure.” She said, laugher in her voice. She rolled him backwards and straddled his hips. Brandt cupped her face with both hands and pulled her down for a longing kiss. If he was going to die later, he might as well make the most of it now.

 

* * *

 

 

Ethan knocked at the door. Maria opened and his jaw immediately dropped down; she was wearing _the_ T-shirt. That slightly oversized T-shirt she used when she needed to dress up in haste and her hair…God her hair, usually tied in a high ponytail, was loose and messy like Julia’s looked like after an hour of great intercourse. He stood on the threshold, speechless. Maria grinned. Ethan nearly stepped back; a smile of that size on his niece’s face was freakishly scaring.

“Hey Ethan. You’re early.”

The IMF agent stood agape a few seconds.

“It’s ten to two. I’m not that early.”

Maria giggled – _giggled_! –and stepped aside to let him in.

“Hey Will!” she called out –was it glee he could hear in her tone? “Your team leader’s here!”

Brandt appeared in the end of the corridor, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair looked like a bird's nest, and Ethan felt a flare on annoyance rise. The former analyst visibly finch at his sight, but gained his composure really fast. Ethan safely assumed he wasn’t quite ready for a face-to-face yet.

“Hi. You’re early.” he said, echoing his girlfriend's earlier words.

Maria kissed her boyfriend on the cheek and returned to the kitchen whistling, leaving the two men face to face in the doorway. If looks could burn, Brandt would be a pile of ashes now.

“What are you doing with my niece, Brandt?”

The man winced and whined:

“Please spare me the ‘if you hurt her I’ll break your legs speech’. I’ve already been offered five different warnings, I don’t need a sixth.”

Ethan frowned, anger momentarily forgotten.

“Five warnings? By whom?”

Brandt sighed in resignation.

“Friends and colleagues of hers. If I hurt Maria, I will be dropped to the Antarctic. Or have each bone of my arms and legs broken. One threatened to drain my bank account for the rest of my live. Oh, and two others promised me a slow and painful death by blood loss through torture.” He paused. “Actually, what will you do? I want to see if you are more imaginative.”

Ethan didn’t hesitate.

“Throw you off the Burj Khalifa.”

Brandt tilted his head on the side, as if thinking deeply, and nodded.

“Fair enough. There’s the problem of traveling and me willing to go back into the building again, but knowing you, I suppose it’s feasible.”

Before Ethan could reply, Maria returned, wearing this time a pale green sleeveless top.

“Still alive?” she asked lightly. Ethan did not want to know what his team member had been doing to her to put her in such good mood. “If you gentlemen are willing to fight elsewhere, lunch is ready.”

 

* * *

 

 

Needless to say, lunch had been tensed and little was said. Ethan had spent the whole time glaring at Brandt and Brandt cautiously avoided his eyes. The only person who seemed to be having fun was Maria. She didn’t talk much either, but her eyes were twinkling in amusement whenever she looked at him or her boyfriend.

Ethan frowned at the word again. William Brandt was _Maria’s_ _boyfriend_. The man worked with him! He could have at least said something! Of all the ways of finding out your colleague was banging your niece –nearly daughter –in your back… Okay, fine, they were working together. Brandt might have feared that his team leader would give him hell. But Ethan was a professional first and foremost. He wouldn’t have let his personal feelings take over. Maybe. Fine, perhaps a little.

When Will returned the office that Monday, he didn’t act any differently. He tensed occasionally in Ethan’s presence, but not obviously enough for the others to notice. There were many questions Ethan wanted to ask but it seemed he had adopted the skill of evading him, or always found a reason to stick with someone else. The IMF agent then resigned himself to corner him in the only place he could think of.

The men’s room.

Brandt eventually took a break to head there, and Ethan waited twenty seconds before following him. when he entered though, it seemed Will had anticipated his move and was waiting for him with a resigned look in his eyes. Ethan made sure they were alone before barking:

“So, how long have you been seeing each other?” he asked.

“On and off since Dubai,” Brandt replied tersely and skillfully avoided his wide-eyed disbelief expression. “I asked her out at the hospital and she said ‘yes’.”

Ethan sent his colleague a particularly dark glare. Dubai was nearly a year and a half ago.

“You hurt her, I’ll finish you off once she’s done with you.” he warned. From the corner of the eye, he spotted the corner of Will’s lips twist up.

“I won’t. She means a lot. And I don’t need you to threaten me to take care of her. I’ll do it with or without. Preferably without” he added with a hint of a smile. Ethan rolled his eyes, and noticed the way Will suddenly frowned. Feeling this was related to their discussion, the older man pressed:

“What is it?”

“Just a thought…If I am to marry her someday, will I have to call you uncle?”

“Let’s not go that far.” The older man muttered quickly.

William grinned wickedly and he suddenly looked ages younger. Ethan rolled his eyes, but deep inside, figured his niece could have done worst. He wouldn’t push the other man around.

Not too much anyway.

But he did snap at Benji when the tech mentioned Brandt's love life again.

 

 


End file.
